Infant playpen

ABSTRACT

An infant playpen includes a support frame including a pivot connection, and an enclosure installable on the support frame, the enclosure comprising a flexible material including an expandable portion having multiple folds, the expandable portion covering the pivot connection when the enclosure is installed on the support frame. In some embodiments, the enclosure may have a sidewall including an inner layer and an outer layer, the support frame extending through a hollow interior between the inner layer and the outer layer when the enclosure is installed on the support frame.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/629,281 filed on Feb. 12, 2018, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to infant playpens.

2. Description of the Related Art

An infant playpen can typically receive a child in a safe andcomfortable environment. Many existing infant playpens are designed witha frame structure that allows folding into a compact form for convenienttransport or storage. However, the conventional folding structures maybe complex, which makes it difficult for a caregiver to fold and unfoldthe infant playpens. In particular, folding and unfolding infantplaypens can be difficult for caregivers who are physically inhibited ina way that reduces their strength and coordination.

Another common problem with current infant playpens relates to thedifficulty in removing the flexible enclosure from the frame structure.A child occupant of the infant playpen may have a tendency to producestains on the enclosure. When the enclosure is difficult to remove, acaregiver may not be able to easily wash the stains away.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved design to provide an infantplaypen that is more convenient in use and to address at least theforegoing issues.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes an infant playpen that can be foldedand unfolded effortlessly and has a construction allowing easy removalof an enclosure from a support frame. In one embodiment, for example,the infant playpen includes a support frame including a pivotconnection, and an enclosure installable on the support frame, theenclosure comprising a flexible material including an expandable portionhaving multiple folds, where the expandable portion covers the pivotconnection when the enclosure is installed on the support frame.

In another embodiment, a infant playpen provided herein includes asupport frame, and an enclosure installable on the support frame andcomprising a flexible material, the enclosure having a sidewallincluding an inner layer and an outer layer, where the support frameextends through a hollow interior between the inner layer and the outerlayer when the enclosure is installed on the support frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an infant playpen in anunfolded state, according to an embodiment disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a rigid support frame of theinfant playpen shown in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment disclosedherein;

FIGS. 3-5 are perspective views illustrating an exemplary foldingoperation of the infant playpen shown in FIG. 1, according to anembodiment disclosed herein;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged planar view of an expandable portion provided onan enclosure of the infant playpen, according to an embodiment disclosedherein;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the expandable portion shown in FIG.6, according to an embodiment disclosed herein;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating the expandable portion in anexpanded state, according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view illustrating the expandable portion of theenclosure associated with one pivot connection of the infant playpen inan unfolded state, according to an embodiment disclosed herein;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view illustrating the expandable portion when theinfant playpen is in a folded state, according to an embodimentdisclosed herein; and

FIGS. 11 and 12 are perspective views illustrating a furtherconstruction feature that may be applied in an infant playpen, accordingto an embodiment disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of an infantplaypen 100 in an unfolded state, and FIG. 2 is a perspective viewillustrating a rigid support frame 102 of the infant playpen 100.Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the infant playpen 100 can include a rigidsupport frame 102 formed by the assembly of multiple tube segments, andan enclosure 104 that can be installed on the support frame 102 andsurround an interior 106 of the infant playpen 100. The support frame102 can include a plurality of upright legs 110A and 110B, a top frameportion 112 and a bottom frame portion 114.

According to an example of construction, the top frame portion 112includes two side rail assemblies 116A and 116B opposite to each otherand extending substantially parallel to each other along a firstdirection, and two other side rail assemblies 118A and 118B opposite toeach other and extending substantially parallel to each other along asecond direction perpendicular to the first direction. The side railassemblies 118A and 118B can be respectively connected with the siderail assemblies 116A and 116B via a plurality of top corner parts 120.

The bottom frame portion 114 is disposed below the top frame portion112. According to an example of construction, the bottom frame portion114 includes two side rail assemblies 126A and 126B opposite to eachother and extending substantially parallel to each other along the firstdirection, and two other side rail assemblies 128A and 128B opposite toeach other and extending substantially parallel to each other along thesecond direction perpendicular to the first direction. In particular,the two side rail assemblies 126A and 126B of the bottom frame portion114 can be substantially parallel to the two side rail assemblies 116Aand 116B of the top frame portion 112, respectively. The two side railassemblies 128A and 128B of the bottom frame portion 114 can besubstantially parallel to the two side rail assemblies 118A and 118B ofthe top frame portion 112, respectively. Moreover, the side railassemblies 128A and 128B can be respectively connected with the siderail assemblies 126A and 126B via a plurality of bottom corner parts130.

The four upright legs 110A and 110B can provide support for the topframe portion 112. For example, each of the upright legs 110A and 110Bmay be formed by an upright tubular segment that has an upper endaffixed to one top corner joint 120 and a lower end affixed to onebottom corner part 130. According to an example of construction, eachbottom corner part 130 is fixedly connected with a foot portion 132protruding downward. The foot portions 132 can provide stable standingsupport for the infant playpen 100 on a floor surface.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a mattress 134 (shown with phantom lines inFIG. 2) may be disposed at a bottom of the infant playpen 100. Accordingto an example of construction, the mattress 134 is peripherallysupported by the bottom frame portion 114 of the support frame 102without the need for a bottom panel under the mattress 134. For example,multiple brackets may be respectively provided at the corners of thebottom frame portion 114 for supporting the mattress 134. This may allowsimple assembly and disassembly of the infant playpen 100, and reducethe manufacturing cost. The mattress 134 may be removed when the infantplaypen 100 is to be folded.

Referring to FIG. 2, the support frame 102 can include a plurality ofpivot connections for folding and unfolding of the infant playpen 100.For example, a middle of the side rail assembly 116A can have a pivotconnection 136A that couples two bars 138A of the side rail assembly116A. A middle of the side rail assembly 116B can have a pivotconnection 136B that couples two bars 138B of the side rail assembly116B. A middle of the side rail assembly 126A can have a pivotconnection 136C that couples two bars 138C of the side rail assembly126A. A middle of the side rail assembly 126B can have a pivotconnection 136D that couples two bars 138D of the side rail assembly126B. Moreover, each of the bars 138A and 138B can be respectivelyconnected pivotally with one top corner part 120, and each of the bars138C and 138D can be respectively connected pivotally with one bottomcorner part 130. A plurality of upright bars 139 may be respectivelyconnected between the side rail assemblies 116A and 126A and between theside rail assemblies 116B and 126B for providing further supportstability.

Referring to FIG. 2, the side rail assembly 118A of the top frameportion 112 can include a continuous bar 140A having no middle pivotconnection, and the side rail assembly 118B of the top frame portion 112can have a continuous bar 140B having no middle pivot connection. Eachof the bars 140A and 140B can be respectively connected fixedly with twotop corner parts 120 at two opposite ends. Likewise, the side railassembly 128A of the bottom frame portion 114 can include a continuousbar 140C having no middle pivot connection, and the side rail assembly128B of the bottom frame portion 114 can have a continuous bar 140Dhaving no middle pivot connection. Each of the bars 140C and 140D can berespectively connected fixedly with two bottom corner parts 130 at twoopposite ends.

In conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2, FIGS. 3-5 are perspective viewsillustrating an exemplary folding operation of the infant playpen 100.Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the infant playpen 100 can be collapsed byfolding the two side rail assemblies 116A and 116B of the top frameportion 112 about the pivot connections 136A and 136B and by folding thetwo side rail assemblies 126A and 126B of the bottom frame portion 114about the pivot connections 136C and 136D, whereby the side railassemblies 118A and 128A can respectively move toward the side railassemblies 118B and 128B.

Referring to FIG. 1-5, the enclosure 104 can be made of a flexiblematerial. Examples of suitable materials for the enclosure 104 include,without limitation, fabrics, mesh materials and like soft goods. Theenclosure 104 may be installed on the support frame 102 so as tosurround the interior 106 of the infant playpen 100 where a child can bereceived. Once the enclosure 104 is installed on the support frame 102,the enclosure 104 can wrap around the top frame portion 112 and stretchdownward to the bottom frame portion 114. For facilitating folding ofthe infant playpen 100, the enclosure 104 can include a plurality ofexpandable portions 150. When the enclosure 104 is installed on thesupport frame 102, the expandable portions 150 can respectively coverthe pivot connections 136A, 136B, 136C and 136D.

All the expandable portions 150 of the enclosure 104 can have a similarstructure. In conjunction with FIGS. 1-5, FIG. 6 is an enlarged planarview of one expandable portion 150, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional viewof the expandable portion 150. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, theexpandable portion 150 can be made of a flexible material, and caninclude multiple folds 152. Examples of suitable materials for theexpandable portion 150 include, without limitation, fabrics. When theenclosure 104 is installed on the support frame 102, the folds 152 canwrap around a pivot connection (e.g., any one of the pivot connections136A, 136B, 136C and 136D) that is covered by the expandable portion150. According to an example of construction, the expandable portion 150includes two folds 152 respectively having two folded edge portions 152Athat are movable toward and away from each other for contraction andexpansion of the expandable portion 150.

According to an embodiment, the expandable portion 150 includes aninverted box pleat. The inverted box pleat may be formed by folding thetwo folds 152 folded toward one another over a base region 154 of theenclosure fabric so that the two folded edge portions 152A of the twofolds 152 are substantially adjacent to each other. Two sewing lines 156then may be respectively applied at two opposite ends of each foldededge portion 152A to hold the inverted box pleat. The two folded edgeportions 152A and the two sewing lines 156 can thereby define an opening157 that is delimited at least partially by the two folded edge portions152A above the base region 154, the opening 157 narrowing when theexpandable portion 150 is unfolded, as illustrated in FIG. 6. When theexpandable portion 150 is folded, the opening 157 can enlarge, asillustrated in FIG. 8.

In conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 9 is an enlarged viewillustrating the expandable portion 150 of the enclosure 104 associatedwith the pivot connection 136A of the infant playpen 100 in an unfoldedstate, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged view illustrating the expandableportion 150 when the infant playpen 100 is in a folded state. Referringto FIG. 9, when the pivot connection 136A is in the unfolded state withthe two bars 138A extending generally along a same line, the expandableportion 150 of the enclosure 104 can appear relatively flat with the twofolded edge portions 152A adjacent to each other. Referring to FIG. 10,when the pivot connection 136A is in the fully folded state with the twobars 138A adjacent and parallel to each other, the two folded edgeportions 152A stretch away from each other so that the base region 154is exposed. It will be readily appreciated that the expandable portions150 associated with the other pivot connections 136B, 136C and 136D canbe configured and operate in a similar way.

The expandable portions 150 of the enclosure 104 described herein do notaffect the overall outer appearance when the infant playpen 100 isunfolded for use, and allow full folding of the infant playpen 100without requiring the user to exert much effort or precise coordination.Moreover, when the infant playpen 100 is fully folded, the enclosure 104can substantially enclose the pivot connections 136A and 136B so that achild would not be able to directly touch or hit the rigid structure ofthe pivot connections, which may prevent undesirable accidents. This canprovide a significant improvement over conventional infant playpens thatusually do not enclose the pivot connections with the enclosure fabricso as not to impede the ability of the infant playpens to fold into asmall size.

In conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2, FIGS. 11 and 12 are two perspectiveviews illustrating another construction feature that may be applied inthe infant playpen 100. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 11 and 12, theenclosure 104 may include an inner layer 160 and an outer layer 162connected with each other. The inner layer 160 and the outer layer 162can delimit a hollow interior of the enclosure 104 in which the fourupright legs 110A and 110B, the top frame portion 112 and the bottomframe portion 114 can be received. Examples of flexible materials forthe inner layer 160 and the outer layer 162 include, withoutlimitations, fabrics, mesh materials and like soft goods. When theenclosure 104 is installed on the support frame 102, the support frame102 can extend through the hollow interior between the inner layer 160and the outer layer 162, whereby the inner layer 160 and the outer layer162 can substantially enclose the four upright legs 110A and 110B, thetop frame portion 112 and the bottom frame portion 114. Once theenclosure 104 is installed, the inner layer 160 faces the interior 106of the infant playpen 100, the outer layer 162 faces outward, and thefoot portions 132 can protrude outward from corresponding foot holesprovided in the enclosure 104. Each of the sidewalls of the enclosure104 stretching between the upright legs 110A and 110B can thus includethe inner layer 160 and the outer layer 162. With this dual-layersidewall structure, the enclosure 104 may be more durable. Moreover, theinner layer 160 and the outer layer 162 may have different designpatterns and/or colors as desired.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the enclosure 104 can include an opening166 communicating with the hollow interior between the inner layer 160and the outer layer 162. The enclosure 104 can be opened at the opening166 for installation and removal of the enclosure 104 with respect tothe support frame 102, and the opening 166 can be closed after theenclosure 104 is installed over the support frame 102 for holding aportion of the support frame 102 inside the hollow interior between theinner layer 160 and the outer layer 162 of the enclosure 104. The sizeof the opening 166 is sufficiently large for installation and removal ofthe enclosure 104 on the support frame 102. For example, the opening 166may extend along at least one side of the enclosure 104. According to anembodiment, the opening 166 extends circumferentially around theenclosure 104. For example, the opening 166 may be placed adjacent tothe outer layer 162, as shown in FIG. 11. According to an example ofconstruction, the opening 166 is disposed closer to a top 104A of theenclosure 104 than a bottom 104B of the enclosure 104. It will beappreciated, however, that other positions of the opening 166 arepossible. Moreover, the enclosure 104 can include a fastener 168operable to open and close the opening 166. According to an example ofconstruction, the fastener 168 is a zip fastener.

The aforementioned construction may allow easy installation and removalof the enclosure 104. A caregiver can operate the fastener 168 to openthe enclosure 104, as illustrated in FIG. 11. Then the infant playpen100 may be flipped so that the foot portions 132 are on top, and theouter layer 162 may be lifted for removing the enclosure 104 from thesupport frame 102, as illustrated in FIG. 12. Once the enclosure 104 isremoved from the support frame 102, the inner layer 160 and the outerlayer 162 remain connected with each other so that the enclosure 104 isstill one single part for convenient storage or washing.

It will be appreciated that the features and advantages described hereinin relation to the dual-layer sidewall structure of the enclosure 104may be provided for various embodiments of the infant playpen. Forexample, the features described herein in relation to the dual-layersidewall structure of the enclosure 104 may be implemented separately orin combination with the expandable portions 150 according to the designrequirements.

Advantages of the infant playpen described herein include an enclosurethat has expandable portions covering pivot connections so that theinfant playpen can be effectively folded and unfolded effortlessly.Moreover, the enclosure may have a dual-layer sidewall structureproviding durability and allowing easy installation and removal of theenclosure.

Realization of the infant playpen has been described in the context ofparticular embodiments. These embodiments are meant to be illustrativeand not limiting. Many variations, modifications, additions, andimprovements are possible. These and other variations, modifications,additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the disclosureas defined in the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. An infant playpen comprising: a support frameincluding two bars that are coupled to each other with a pivotconnection; and an enclosure installable on the support frame, theenclosure comprising a flexible material including an expandable portionhaving a pleat that forms two folds, the two folds respectivelyincluding two folded edge portions, the expandable portion covering thepivot connection with the two folded edge portions wrapping at leastpartially around the same pivot connection when the enclosure isinstalled on the support frame; wherein the two folds are folded towardeach other over a base region of the flexible material of the enclosure,the two folded edge portions being adjacent to each other when the pivotconnection is in an unfolded state and stretched away from each other sothat more of the base region is exposed when the pivot connection is ina folded state, each of the two folded edge portions having at least oneend affixed to the flexible material at a location adjacent to the pivotconnection to hold the pleat in the unfolded state and the folded state.2. The infant playpen according to claim 1, wherein the expandableportion includes an inverted box pleat.
 3. The infant playpen accordingto claim 1, wherein the enclosure has a sidewall including an innerlayer and an outer layer, the support frame extending through a hollowinterior between the inner layer and the outer layer when the enclosureis installed on the support frame.
 4. The infant playpen according toclaim 3, wherein the enclosure includes an opening communicating withthe hollow interior between the inner layer and the outer layer forfacilitating installation and removal of the enclosure with respect tothe support frame, the opening extending along at least one side of theenclosure.
 5. The infant playpen according to claim 4, wherein theenclosure has a top and a bottom, the opening being disposed closer tothe top than the bottom.
 6. The infant playpen according to claim 4,wherein the enclosure includes a fastener operable to open and close theopening.
 7. The infant playpen according to claim 6, wherein thefastener includes a zip fastener.
 8. The infant playpen according toclaim 1, wherein each of the two folded edge portions has at least oneend affixed to the flexible material at a location adjacent to the pivotconnection via a sewing line.
 9. The infant playpen according to claim1, wherein each of the two folded edge portions has two opposite endsaffixed to the flexible material at a location adjacent to the pivotconnection.
 10. An infant playpen comprising: a support frame includinga plurality of upright legs, a top frame portion and a bottom frameportion; and an enclosure installable on the support frame andcomprising a flexible material, the enclosure having a sidewallincluding an inner layer and an outer layer, the upright legs, the topframe portion and the bottom frame portion of the support frameextending in a hollow interior between the inner layer and the outerlayer when the enclosure is installed on the support frame; wherein theenclosure has an opening communicating with the hollow interior betweenthe inner layer and the outer layer, and a fastener operable to open andclose the opening, the support frame comprised of the upright legs, thetop frame portion and the bottom frame portion being installable in thehollow interior between the inner layer and the outer layer through theopening.
 11. The infant playpen according to claim 10, wherein theopening extends along at least one side of the enclosure.
 12. The infantplaypen according to claim 10, wherein the opening extendscircumferentially around the enclosure.
 13. The infant playpen accordingto claim 10, wherein the enclosure has a top and a bottom, the openingbeing disposed closer to the top than the bottom.
 14. The infant playpenaccording to claim 10, wherein the fastener includes a zip fastener. 15.The infant playpen according to claim 10, wherein the support frameincludes a pivot connection, and the enclosure includes an expandableportion having multiple folds, the expandable portion covering the pivotconnection when the enclosure is installed on the support frame.
 16. Theinfant playpen according to claim 15, wherein the folds wrap around thepivot connection when the enclosure is installed on the support frame.17. The infant playpen according to claim 15, wherein the folds includetwo folded edge portions that are movable toward and away from eachother.
 18. The infant playpen according to claim 15, wherein theexpandable portion includes an inverted box pleat.